If We Are The Body
by Green Gallant
Summary: A young girl in a new town walks into the local church on Sunday morning, but how will they react to her. And will anybody stand up for her? Inspired and based on the song by Casting Crowns.


_Author's Note: Hey this is Green Gallant, with another new story. This one is based off "If We Are The Body" by Casting Crowns. i wrote this story a while ago, and I think it has a lot of meaning to it. Let me know what you think of it. And be sure to leave a review at the end. _

It was a Sunday morning at Jump City Church of the Nazarene. Service was all ready underway. The sanctuary was filled with the singing of gospel hymns. When the doors at the back opened and a teenage girl entered the sanctuary she was about 15 with long blonde hair and had a black coat hugging her body. She slipped into the third to last row and immediately tried blending in. She removed her white stocking cap from her head and stood there with other churchgoers. A group of girls laughed at her when they saw her, little do they know how much their teasing laughter hurts.

**_It's crowded in worship today_**

_**As she slips in**_

_**Trying to fade into the faces**_

_**The girls' teasing laughter farther than they know**_

_**Farther than they know**_

Tara lowered her head because she knew they was laughing at her, she didn't know why that was just always the case. Girls always picked on her. The Pastor looked up from his stage pew and could see the look of sadness on the girl's face. He could tell that the other girls were making fun of her. He sighed inwardly.

_**But if we are the body**_

**_Why aren't his arms reaching?_**

**_Why aren't his hands healing?_**

**_Why aren't his words teaching?_**

_**And if we are the body**_

**_Why aren't his feet going?_**

_**Why is his love not telling them there is a way?**_

_**There is a way**_

The choir director leads the congregation into another song. A few seconds into the song the doors open again this time an older gentleman in a large coat walks in. He sinks into the very back row of the church. A number of members turn their attention to this gentleman as he removes his large coat to reveal him as an old man with a gray beard, messy hair and old worn out clothes. They give him discerning looks. Just like the girl before him the man can feel their eyes staring down upon him because of his ragged appearance. They soon turn their eyes back to the front of the sanctuary and focus on singing half hearted praises to God.

_**A traveler is far away from home**_

_**He sheds his coat **_

_**And quietly sinks into the back row**_

**_The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances _**

_**Are better out on the road**_

Again the pastor noticed this, and had become somewhat annoyed as to the way his church are treating these guests. Soon Pastor Galfore got up from his pew on the stage and walked over to the pulpit where the choir leader is. His daughter Kori who was one of the on-stage worship singers looked over at her a little confused by what he's doing.

"Sister Dorothy, would you keep playing softly?" he said.

The woman at the piano obliged. Pastor Galfore stood in front of his congregation earlier than he usually would and addressed them.

"I've noticed this morning that we have two new visitors to our church. And yet all most of you have done is make them feel unwelcome. Now I remind you that this place is a hospital for sinners not a museum for saints." The preacher scolded them and then continued.

"All walks of life are welcome in this place. Try and remember that you were the same way when you first came into this house." He said.

_**But if we are the body**_

**_Why aren't his arms reaching?_**

**_Why aren't his hands healing?_**

**_Why aren't his words teaching?_**

_**And if we are the body**_

**_Why aren't his feet going?_**

**_Why is his love not showing them there is a way?_**

At the same time the preacher's message and the song are intertwined both speaking at once. With Galfore shaking his fist while he spoke holding his bible out and tapping it against the pulpit,

**_"Jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who should come. And we are the body of Christ." _**

His bible clapped when it hit the pulpit emphasizing his point. Most of the congregation responded with "Amen."

The people who judged these two visitors earlier were ashamed of themselves.

_**If we are the body**_

**_Why aren't his arms reaching?_**

**_Why aren't his hands healing?_**

**_Why aren't his words teaching?_**

_**And if we are the body**_

**_Why aren't his feet going?_**

_**Why is his love not showing them there is a way**? _

When the pastor had managed to get himself calmed down He spoke softer to them.

"Now, how about we all get to know each other a little better? I'd like for you to turn to your neighbor shake hands with them and let them know that you're happy to see them here this morning." he suggested.

They went along with it. It started with two or three but soon everyone was shaking hands wishing each other a 'good morning, nice to see you'. When Tara looked up she was met by a boy with pale green hair.

"Hey I'm Gar." he said warmly.

"Hi, I'm Tara." she said shaking his hand.

"It's good to see you here this morning." he said.

"Yeah, you too." she said.

A boy with red hair walked up to her.

"Hey I'm Roy. What's your name?" he asked.

"I'm Tara." she said shaking his hand.

"Tara, it's nice to meet you." he said.

"Likewise." she said appreciably.

A group of people were shaking hands and talking with the old man in the back. And they really did like meeting him. While Tara was walking across the church with Gar and Roy, she was approached by a girl a little older than her with fiery red hair.

"Hey Kori, I'd like you to meet Tara." Gar said guiding her toward the red haired singer.

"Hi!" Tara said.

"Greetings, Tara." Kori said as she pulled the young blond into an affectionate hug.

_**If we are the body**_

**_Why aren't his arms reaching?_**

**_Why aren't his hands healing?_**

**_Why aren't his words teaching?_**

_**And if we are the body**_

**_Why aren't his feet going?_**

_**Why is his love not showing them there is a way?**_

_**Jesus is the way!**_

_**Oh-oh, oh-oh**_

_Author's Note: So what did you think? Good? Bad? Indiffernt? as you noticed that was Terra, Beast Boy, Starfire and Speedy that played in this story. I didnt put any pairings in this because I didnt feel it was necessary at the time. I hope you didnt take too much offense to the way I protrayed the church people, but that's what the song is about. So I hope you liked it. _

_Review. _


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